Ceiling-plate.



N0. 805,873. PATENTED NOV. 28. 1905.

J. NEAL.

CEILING PLATE.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO.8,1902.

I 4Z A, .gjar (WWW UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE J UDSON NEAL, OFSOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PECK,

STOWE & WILCOX, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA TION OFCONNECTICUT.

CEILING-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JUDSON NEAL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Southington, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCeiling- Plates, of which the following is a specification.

These ceiling-plates, as is well known, are used about pipes to cover upopenings where the pipes pass through the ceilings. They can as well beused in the same manner at the floor. When used as ceiling-plates, it isnecessary to have some sort of a spring attachment which will grip thepipe to hold the plates in place, thus obviating the necessity of usingscrews.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom view of the device in perspective.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view showing the two parts of the devicepartially separated. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the device inperspective with the two parts entirely separated. Fig. 4 is a sideview.

The particular object of this invention is to produce a device of theclass indicated which shall have features of novelty and advantage andwhich can be manufactured at an extremely low cost.

The ceiling-plate shown is made up of two parts or members A B, whichare cast in suitable metal. On the part A there is formed a hook-shapedlug a, and on the part B is formed the rounded lug b, which is engagedby the lug a. By reference to Fig. 2 it is seen that up to certainlimits these interengaging lugs a I) act as a hinge connection. On thepart or member A adjacent the lug a there is formed the ear 6, and onthe memberB there is formed the ear 8, adapted to ride over the ear 6 asthe members are closed together from the position shown in Fig. 2. Therelative location of the engaging faces of the ears 6 and s is such thatthese elements tend to hold securely locked the web. and latch nextdescribed. On the opposite side of the aper ture from theabove-mentioned lugs I provide means for locking the elements together,comprising the latch a on the member A, radially grooved on its underside, as at a and the web I) on the member B to be engaged by the latchand fit into the groove a To fasten the two parts of the plate together,the lugs a, b are first engaged and the parts closed together, the ear 8riding over the ear e and the beveled face of the latch a riding up onthe web buntil it drops into the notch a Lugs a b and ears 6 s are sosituated with reference to each other that they tend to produce avertical displacement of the opposite ends of the members when the latchrides over the web I). The tendency is to elevate the web I) and depressthe latch (1. Hence the two parts a b will be held firmly in engagementwhen the members are closed. The natural spring of the metal issufficient to permit the latch to ride over the web.

On each half or member of the plate there are formed integral therewithtwo pairs of posts C D C D. One post in each pair is cored out toreceive the L-shaped retainingwires K. One end of the spring M islocated between the pair of posts C and the other end between the pairof posts D, the wires K being bent down into contact with the otherpost, as shown, to retain the spring in place. The spring N, with itsends between the pairs of posts C D, is retained in place in a similarmanner.

In the inner edge of each half of the plate is formed a semicircularrecess, which when the plates are joined forms an opening through theplate of the size of the outside diameter of the pipe to beaccommodated.

The springs M N are oppositely disposed to one another and may beoffset, as at m n. It is of considerable importance that each spring beheld at its opposite ends, as this arrangement insures the retention ofthe springs in place, not only when the plate is in position around apipe, but also when it is being stored or in shipment.

In the manufacture of my ceiling-plate no finishing or machine-work,except polishing, is necessary. When the parts come from the molds, thelugs and posts are properly formed the posts are cored for theretaining-wires, and it is only necessary to insert the springs andwires and bend the latter to produce a finished article.

While I have entitled this device a ceil ing-plate and so described itin the claims, it is evident that it can be used equally as well as afloor-plate.

I claim as my invention 1. A ceiling-plate formed in two members orhalves and having a central aperture; a lug on one member at one side ofthe aperture overlying the other member, a latch on the same member atthe opposite side of said aperture adapted to engage with a web on theother member to lock the parts together against the spring of the metal;and means for producing a strain within the members transverse to theirplane, comprising an car on the other member overlying thefirst-mentioned member between said lug and the aperture.

2. In a ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having acentral aperture, the combination with a pair of locking parts at oneside of said aperture to lock the mem bers together against the springof the metal; of a pair of lugs at the opposite side of the apertureconstituting a hinge-joint, and an ear located between said pair of lugsand the aperture, said ear projecting from one mem her and riding overthe other, whereby said pair of lugs and ear tend to produce a verticaldisplacement of the latch and web when forced into engagement.

3. In a ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having acentral aperture, the combination with a pair of locking parts at oneside of said aperture, one of said parts being a web standing on onemember and the other a latch projecting from the opposite member andhaving a radial groove on its lower face adapted to receive said web ofa pair of lugs at the opposite side of the aperture constituting ahinge-joint, and an car located between said pair of lugs and theaperture, said ear projecting from one member and riding over the other,whereby said pair of lugs and ear tend to produce a verticaldisplacement of the latch and web when forced into engagement.

4. In a ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having acentral aperture, the combination with a pair of locking parts at oneside of said aperture, one of said parts being a web standing on onemember and the other a latch projecting from the opposite member andhaving a radial groove on its lower face adapted to receive said web ofa pair of lugs at the opposite side of the aperture constituting ahinge-joint, and a pair of ears located. between said pair of lugs andthe aperture, one of said ears projecting over the other and ridingthereon, whereby said pair of lugs and ears tend to produce a verticaldis placement of the latch and web when forced into engagement.

5. In a ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having acentral aperture, the combination with a pair of locking parts at oneside of said aperture, one of said parts being a web standing on onemember and the other a latch projecting from the opposite member andhaving a radial groove on.

its lower face adapted to receive said web; of a pair of lugs at theopposite side of the aperture constituting a hingejoint, and a pair ofcars located between said pair of lugs and the aperture, one of saidears projecting over the other and having a beveled lower face ridingfrictionally thereon, whereby said pair of lugs and ears tend to producea vertical displacement of the latch and web when forced intoengagement.

6. In a ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having acentral aperture, the combination with a pair of locking parts at oneside of said aperture, one of said parts being a web standingon onemember and the other a latch projecting from the opposite member andhaving a beveled lower face provided with a radial groove adapted toreceive said web; of a pair of lugs at the opposite side of the apertureconstituting a hinge-joint, one of said lugs projecting from thelast-named member and riding over the other member, and a pair of earslocated between said pair of lugs and the aperture, one of said earsprojecting in opposed relation to the projecting lug and ridingfrictionally over the other car, whereby said lugs and ears tend toproduce a vertical displacement of the latch and web when forced intoengagement.

7. A ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having a pair oflugs at one side thereof constituting a hinge-joint, cooperating partsat the other side serving as a latch to lock the members togetheragainst the spring of the metal, and means for pro ducing a strainwithin the members when locked transverse to the plane thereof,comprising a pair of coacting ears located adjacent to the hinge-jointand between said joint and said latch.

8. A ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves having a centralaperture, a pair of cooperating lugs at one side of said aperture,

cooperating parts on the members at the op' posite side of said apertureserving as a latch to lock the members together. against the spring ofthe metal, and a pair of coacting ears located adjacent to said lugsbetween said lugs and said latch said ears and lugs being so arrangedthat they are adapted to pro duce a strain within the members transverseto the plane thereof, when. said members are locked.

9. A ceiling-plate formed in two members or halves and having a centralaperture a lug and a latch on one member at opposite sides of saidaperture, said lug overlying the second member and said latchengagingaweb thereon to lock the parts together against the In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature spring of the metal; and means for producinpresence of two Witnesses. ing a strain Within the members transverse toT r the plane thereof, comprising an ear on the JUDSOD AEAL' 5 secondmember overlying the first men- Witnesses:

tioned member between the lug and the ap- MAROUs H. HOLOOMB,

erture, substantially as described. FREDERIG A. LARIBEE.

